Quiet
by indecisiveweaver
Summary: A day without Phineas. Just to be quiet.
1. I'm Not Yours

He looked out into the backyard. Nothing seemed to have changed, not even in seven years. Summer was still the same. The same optimism from his brother, the same outrageous schemes, even the same mysterious disappearance of said schemes. Even Isabella still came to their every day, her same bubbly voice filling the backyard with her chosen catchphrase, "what'cha doin?'". Today, there had been no one to answer that question, as his brother was off to the orthodontist for one of his appointments for his braces. Ferb hadn't paid much attention when his mother discussed it, but he figured by the anticipation coiled in his brothers muscles meant it had something to do with him getting them off. it wasn't for a little while that they left, him staying home alone. he walked through the kitchen, to the backyard, looking out the window to see Isabella already sitting under the tree. He paused for a moment, taken aback. he didn't realize he was so late, for her to already be sitting there. He took a breath and stepped out the door.

"Oh. Hey Ferb, what'cha doin'?" she asked, just as bubbly as ever, but then her brow furrowed. "Wait," he knew her question before it even touched her lips, "where's Phineas?"

He shrugged his shoulders, looking past the house, then back at her.

"Oh." She looked down. "Is he going to be back before the end of today?" He nodded, avoiding her eyes. That knowledge, however, cheered her up, and she looked back at him. "Why don't you come sit by me?" she patted the ground next to her. She was in Phineas's normal spot, under the tree. He crossed the yard, setting himself down carefully in his everyday spot.

With Isabella so close to him; he let his mind drift. He couldn't help the wish that it was Vanessa wisp through his mind. He was supposed to be sitting under the tree with a friend, the least he could do is enjoy it. They were best friends, after all. He felt her sigh, relax, and lean into him and the tree. Best friends? He could get used to this.


	2. And You're Not Mine

She stepped out of the door, calling out to her mother as she did every day, "I'm going over to the Flynn-Fletcher house," and closed the door behind her. She tried to contain the giddy feeling bubbling up inside her; she couldn't wait to see what Phineas would be doing today. She crossed the road, making her way to the backyard. Not really showing any sense of purpose other than her destination, her mind obviously too preoccupied with childish fantasies and childhood memories of the outlandish machines and creations. When she finally made her way to the back gate, she opened it, surprised of what she saw. The backyard was completely empty and silent, showing no sign of Phineas, or Ferb for that matter. She let out a slight sigh, then went and assumed the ordinary position of Phineas under the tree.

She sat under the tree for a long while, or at least she thought it felt like a long time. it was probably much a shorter time than she thought, it was just so quiet that the minutes seemed to drag on and on. When at last she thought she would go inside to see what was holding up Phineas and Ferb, she heard a car's engine start and pull out of the driveway. Seconds later the backdoor opened, and Ferb walked out.

"Oh. Hey Ferb. What'cha doin'?" she asked. She looked past him and couldn't help the disappointment that graced her face. "Wait," she could tell he already knew her question, but it was rising out of her throat none the less, "Where's Phineas?"

He shrugged and turned his head, probably referencing the car that had left the driveway just moments before, and then looked back at her.

"Oh." She had gotten over the initial disappointment, and now was wondering what sort of thing was dragging her dear Phineas out of the backyard. She figured that if everyone had left Ferb alone, it must not be something too time consuming. She looked back up at him. "Is he going to be back before the end of today?"

He nodded, but didn't look at her. Although she was disappointed that she wouldn't get to see Phineas for a while longer, she was sure she could enjoy the quiet summer morning under the tree, especially while sitting beside one of her best friends.

He wasn't sitting by her yet though; he was just standing there in front of the back door. She invited him to sit by her, patting his normal spot under the tree. She felt much more at ease once he was on the ground next to her.

She wasn't used to being alone with Ferb. She wondered if he would ever want to talk. Sometimes she considered his functional mutehood to be somewhat annoying, but with the slight breeze grazing her arm, she found today she really didn't mind. She let out a slight exhale of breath, feeling the peace of the morning, and leaned into him and the tree


	3. But We Can Sit snd Pass the Time

They had spent so many days together, he could almost recount all of them, but never once in his memory did he remember being alone with Isabella. It was hard for him to imagine an Isabella without Phineas. Though he had known the girl for years, hardly had he ever taken the time to get to know her past the setting of their friend group, which isn't to say he didn't know her at all, but simply not as in depth as Phineas probably did. They had spent plenty of days alone over the course of their childhood.

Ferb couldn't help to regret not taking the time to get to know her in all this time. He tried to console himself with the realization that he did know her, just by watching all these years, and observing, but he couldn't help but feel as if there was a lost opportunity, as if Isabella and he could have been so much closer.

He knew just sitting there was not the easiest or best use of time, but he couldn't bear to get up. He hadn't planned a scheme for today, and without Phineas, Baljeet and Buford wouldn't show up.

Truth be told, he was content just to sit there. He knew the time would move faster if they tried to do something, but he rarely got a day to rest, not that he needed one, but they were nice nonetheless. 

She sighed lightly, hoping that he hadn't noticed. All this sitting was making her sleepy, not that she didn't enjoy it. She rarely had a day where there was nothing to do. It felt nice.

Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the friend sitting next to her, and sighed once more. She couldn't believe out of how long she'd known him and she never actually tried to get to know him well. She barely knew anything about him, apart from the things in common with Phineas. Although she realized she could talk to him more. He wasn't likely to answer verbally, he preferred his silence after all, and after earning her 24 hours of silence patch, she could respect that.

Still, she wondered if there was a way for her to get to know him, while he could still maintain his silent integrity.

She didn't have much time to wonder, however, for her eyelids soon drooped, and she gave in to peaceful sleep.


	4. No Fighting Wars

He felt her relax against him. He looked down to find she had fallen asleep. She looked so peaceful, he couldn't bear to awaken her.  
He could remember times that she didn't look so peaceful. Their backyard fun was just supposed to be that, fun, but sometimes the things they did got them in trouble. Not the trouble that Candace had always tried to get them in, though he wondered if that would have been for their own good.  
He loved knowing so many people, like Meep, and his second dimension counterpart, but all of the challenges those adventures put him through, put them all through… He shuddered to think about what he would do if he had to watch his brother and Isabella turn into pharmacists.  
Although they all had been through many trying times, Isabella had always been courageous. She was a fireside girl in the truest sense. She never froze in the face of danger, she always knew what to do.  
Much like his brother, but somehow more.  
He had seen her game face, many times. She was not new to a friendly competition, or even a not so friendly one, if the situation required. He had even seen her go to war.  
He would never wish that upon her again. Not that he would wish that upon anyone.  
He would never tell her this, but this was his favorite face she would make. Almost every other face he had seen her make was riddled with some form of conflict, whether it be from her annoyance or exasperation at his brother's oblivious nature, her overly competitive nature, or some sort of threat of impending apocalypse  
She had always been cute. As his brother had said, it was a scientific fact.  
But today she was more than cute, she was perfect.


End file.
